Team SUZUKI CN CHALLENGE Secured Sixth Place in Motegi 2&4 Race

The opening round of the 2025 MFJ ALL JAPAN ROADRACE CHAMPIONSHIP series was held alongside premier four-wheel Formula races at Twin Ring Motegi from Saturday, 19 through Sunday, 20 April. Team SUZUKI CN CHALLENGE participated in the race and secured impressive sixth place finish. The team raced with a GSX-R1000R, developed to meet the JSB1000 race regulation that mandates 100% renewable fuel as race gasoline. The race machine was also equipped with a few endurance race spec parts to be tested this time, aiming at the teamʼs ultimate goal, Suzuka 8 hours endurance race.

The team hired Takuya Tsuda the development rider of the team, as the race ride for this race. During the qualifying session on Saturday, Tsuda marked his best lap in 1'48.599 and clinched the eighth starting grid position for the race. In the race on Sunday, a total of 28 machines took off at the start. Takuya Tsuda passed the first corner in 8th position.
On the second lap, Kota Nozane, Astemo Pro Honda SI Racing who was running in 4th place ahead, crashed at the hairpin corner, Team SUZUKI moved up to 7th place. The GSX-R1000R continued to deliver stable performance, and with Tetsuta Nagashima, DUNLOP Racing Team with YAHAGI being retired due to technical trouble on the 12th lap, Suzuki crossed the finish line in 6th place.

Team SUZUKI CN CHALLENGE aims to accomplish both a higher level of environmental impact reduction and improved race competitiveness. The team continues its journey for 2025 FIM World
Endurance Championship “Coca-Cola” Suzuka 8 Hours scheduled in upcoming August Shinichi Sahara, Project leader / Team director “We finished the race in 6th place. While we are glad to have completed the race safely, the sense of frustration outweighs the relief. However, considering our broader goal of preparing for the upcoming Suzuka 8 Hours, we had achieved the objectives that we needed to hit. We have enhanced the overall balance of the bike by addressing the challenges identified throughout race week. As a result, our lap times during the race were consistent among competitors.

We will continue our development and testing program to further enhance our bikeʼs performance. Also, taking this opportunity, I would like to express Suzukiʼs appreciation to all Suzuki fans, our technical partners, and other related supporters. Thank you for your support for Team SUZUKI CN CHALLENGE.”